Virata Parva, Mahabharata/ Book IV Chapter 1
Mahabharata Book IV Chapter 1:English
Pandavas pass their days undiscovered in Viratanagara; Surrounding the kingdom of the Kurus: Panchala, Chedi, Matsya, Surasena, Pattachchara, Dasarna, Navarashtra, Malla, Shalva, Yugandhara, Saurashtra, Avanti, Kuntirashtra.
OM! Having bowed down to Narayana, and Nara, the most exalted of male beings, and also to the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered.
Janamejaya said, "How did my great-grandfathers, afflicted with the fear of Duryodhana, pass their days undiscovered in the city of Virata? And, O Brahman, how did the highly blessed Draupadi, stricken with woe, devoted to her lords, and ever adoring the Deity 1, spend her days unrecognised?"
Vaisampayana said, "Listen, O lord of men, how thy great grandfathers passed the period of unrecognition in the city of Virata. Having in this way obtained boons from the god of Justice, that best of virtuous men, Yudhishthira, returned to the asylum and related unto the Brahmanas all that had happened. And having related everything unto them, Yudhishthira restored to that regenerate Brahmana, who had followed him the churning staff and the fire-sticks he had lost. And, O Bharata, the son of the god of Justice, the royal Yudhishthira of high soul then called together all his younger brothers and addressed them, saying, 'Exiled from our kingdom, we have passed twelve years. The thirteenth year, hard to spend, hath now come. Do thou therefore, O Arjuna, the son of Kunti, select some spot where we may pass our days undiscovered by our enemies.'"
Arjuna replied, "Even by virtue of Dharma's boon, we shall, O lord of men, range about undiscovered by men. Still, for purposes of residence, I shall mention some spots that are both delightful and secluded. Do thou select some one of them. Surrounding the kingdom of the Kurus, are, many countries beautiful and abounding in corn, such as Panchala, Chedi, Matsya, Surasena, Pattachchara, Dasarna, Navarashtra, Malla, Shalva, Yugandhara, Saurashtra, Avanti, and the spacious Kuntirashtra. Which of these, O king, wouldst thou choose, and where, O foremost of monarchs, shall we spend this year?"
p. 2
Yudhishthira said "O them of mighty arms, it is even so. What that adorable Lord of all creatures hath said must become true. Surely, after consulting together, we must select some delightful, auspicious, and agreeable region for our abode, where we may live free from fear. The aged Virata, king of the Matsyas, is virtuous and powerful and charitable, and is liked by all. And he is also attached to the Pandavas. Even in the city of Virata, O child, we shall, O Bharata, spend this year, entering his service. Tell me, ye sons of the Kuru race, in what capacities ye will severally present yourselves before the king of the Matsyas!"
Arjuna said, "O god among men, what service wilt thou take in Virata's kingdom? O righteous one, in what capacity wilt thou reside in the city of Virata? Thou art mild, and charitable, and modest, and virtuous, and firm in promise. What wilt thou, O king, afflicted as thou art with calamity, do? A king is qualified to bear trouble like an ordinary person. How wilt thou overcome this great calamity that has overtaken thee?"
Yudhishthira replied, "Ye sons of the Kuru race, ye bulls among men, hear what I shall do on appearing before king Virata. Presenting myself as a Brahmana, Kanka by name, skilled in dice and fond of play, I shall become a courtier of that high-souled king. And moving upon chess-boards beautiful pawns made of ivory, of blue and yellow and red and white hue, by throws of black and red dice. I shall entertain the king with his courtiers and friends. And while I shall continue to thus delight the king, nobody will succeed in discovering me. And should the monarch ask me, I shall say, 'Formerly I was the bosom friend of Yudhishthira.' I tell you that it is thus that I shall pass my days (in the city of Virata). What office wilt thou, O Vrikodara, fill in the city of Virata?"
Footnotes
1:1 Brahma Vadini--Nilakantha explains this as Krishna-kirtanasila.
Mahabharata Book IV Chapter 1:Sanskrit
1 [ज]
कदं विराटनगरे मम पूर्वपितामहाः
अज्ञातवासम उषिता थुर्यॊधन भयार्थिताः
2 तदा तु स वराँल लब्ध्वा धर्माधर्मभृतां वरः
गत्वाश्रमं बराह्मणेभ्य आचख्यौ सर्वम एव तत
3 कदयित्वा तु तत सर्वं बराह्मणेभ्यॊ युधिष्ठिरः
अरणी सहितं तस्मै बराह्मणाय नयवेथयत
4 ततॊ युधिष्ठिरॊ राजा धर्मपुत्रॊ महामनाः
संनिवर्त्यानुजान सर्वान इति हॊवाच भारत
5 थवाथशेमानि वर्षाणि राष्ट्राथ विप्रॊषिता वयम
तरयॊथशॊ ऽयं संप्राप्तः कृच्छ्रः परमथुर्वसः
6 स साधु कौन्तेय इतॊ वासम अर्जुन रॊचय
यत्रेमा वसतीः सर्वा वसेमाविथिताः परैः
7 तस्यैव वरथानेन धर्मस्य मनुजाधिप
अज्ञाता विचरिष्यामॊ नराणा भरतर्षभ
8 किं तु वासाय राष्ट्राणि कीर्तयिष्यामि कानि चित
रमणीयानि गुप्तानि तेषां किं चित सम रॊचय
9 सन्ति रम्या जनपथा बह्व अन्नाः परितः कुरून
पाञ्चालाश चेथिमत्स्याश च शूरसेनाः पटच्चराः
दशार्णा नव राष्ट्रं च मल्लाः शाल्व युगंधराः
10 एतेषां कतमॊ राजन निवासस तव रॊचते
वत्स्यामॊ यत्र राजेन्थ्र संवत्सरम इमं वयम
11 एवम एतन महाबाहॊ यदा स भगवान परभुः
अब्रवीत सर्वभूतेशस तत तदा न तथ अन्यदा
12 अवश्यं तव एव वासार्दं रमणीयं शिवं सुखम
संमन्त्र्य सहितैः सर्वैर थरष्टव्यम अकुतॊभयम
13 मत्स्यॊ विराटॊ बलवान अभिरक्षेत स पाण्डवान
धर्मशीलॊ वथान्यश च वृथ्धश च सुमहाधनः
14 विराटनगरे तात संवत्सरम इमं वयम
कुर्वन्तस तस्य कर्माणि विहरिष्याम भारत
15 यानि यानि च कर्माणि तस्य शक्ष्यामहे वयम
कर्तुं यॊ यत स तत कर्म बरवीतु कुरुनन्थनाः
16 नरथेव कदं कर्म राष्ट्रे तस्य करिष्यसि
विराट नृपतेः साधॊ रंस्यसे केन कर्मणा
17 मृथुर वथान्यॊ हरीमांश च धार्मिकः सत्यविक्रमः
राजंस तवम आपथा कलिष्टः किं करिष्यसि पाण्डव
18 न थुःखम उचितं किं चिथ राजन वेथ यदा जनः
स इमाम आपथं पराप्य कदं घॊरां तरिष्यसि
19 शृणुध्वं यत करिष्यामि कर्म वै कुरुनन्थनाः
विराटम अनुसंप्राप्य राजानं पुरुषर्षभम
20 सभास्तारॊ भविष्यामि तस्य राज्ञॊ महात्मनः
कङ्कॊ नाम थविजॊ भूत्वा मताक्षः परिय थेविता
21 वैडूर्यान काञ्चनान थान्तान फलैर जयॊती रसैः सह
कृष्णाक्षाँल लॊहिताक्षांश च निर्वर्त्स्यामि मनॊरमान
22 आसं युधिष्ठिरस्याहं पुरा पराणसमः सखा
इति वक्ष्यामि राजानं यथि माम अनुयॊक्ष्यते
23 इत्य एतथ वॊ मयाख्यातं विहरिष्याम्य अहं यदा
वृकॊथर विराटे तवं रंस्यसे केन कर्मणा
Mahabharata Book IV Chapter 1:Transliteration
1 [j]
kathaṃ virāṭanagare mama pūrvapitāmahāḥ
ajñātavāsam uṣitā duryodhana bhayārditāḥ
2 tathā tu sa varāṁl labdhvā dharmādharmabhṛtāṃ varaḥ
gatvāśramaṃ brāhmaṇebhya ācakhyau sarvam eva tat
3 kathayitvā tu tat sarvaṃ brāhmaṇebhyo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ
araṇī sahitaṃ tasmai brāhmaṇāya nyavedayat
4 tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā dharmaputro mahāmanāḥ
saṃnivartyānujān sarvān iti hovāca bhārata
5 dvādaśemāni varṣāṇi rāṣṭrād viproṣitā vayam
trayodaśo 'yaṃ saṃprāptaḥ kṛcchraḥ paramadurvasaḥ
6 sa sādhu kaunteya ito vāsam arjuna rocaya
yatremā vasatīḥ sarvā vasemāviditāḥ paraiḥ
7 tasyaiva varadānena dharmasya manujādhipa
ajñātā vicariṣyāmo narāṇā bharatarṣabha
8 kiṃ tu vāsāya rāṣṭrāṇi kīrtayiṣyāmi kāni cit
ramaṇīyāni guptāni teṣāṃ kiṃ cit sma rocaya
9 santi ramyā janapadā bahv annāḥ paritaḥ kurūn
pāñcālāś cedimatsyāś ca śūrasenāḥ paṭaccarāḥ
daśārṇā nava rāṣṭraṃ ca mallāḥ śālva yugaṃdharāḥ
10 eteṣāṃ katamo rājan nivāsas tava rocate
vatsyāmo yatra rājendra saṃvatsaram imaṃ vayam
11 evam etan mahābāho yathā sa bhagavān prabhuḥ
abravīt sarvabhūteśas tat tathā na tad anyathā
12 avaśyaṃ tv eva vāsārthaṃ ramaṇīyaṃ śivaṃ sukham
saṃmantrya sahitaiḥ sarvair draṣṭavyam akutobhayam
13 matsyo virāṭo balavān abhirakṣet sa pāṇḍavān
dharmaśīlo vadānyaś ca vṛddhaś ca sumahādhanaḥ
14 virāṭanagare tāta saṃvatsaram imaṃ vayam
kurvantas tasya karmāṇi vihariṣyāma bhārata
15 yāni yāni ca karmāṇi tasya śakṣyāmahe vayam
kartuṃ yo yat sa tat karma bravītu kurunandanāḥ
16 naradeva kathaṃ karma rāṣṭre tasya kariṣyasi
virāṭa nṛpateḥ sādho raṃsyase kena karmaṇā
17 mṛdur vadānyo hrīmāṃś ca dhārmikaḥ satyavikramaḥ
rājaṃs tvam āpadā kliṣṭaḥ kiṃ kariṣyasi pāṇḍava
18 na duḥkham ucitaṃ kiṃ cid rājan veda yathā janaḥ
sa imām āpadaṃ prāpya kathaṃ ghorāṃ tariṣyasi
19 śṛṇudhvaṃ yat kariṣyāmi karma vai kurunandanāḥ
virāṭam anusaṃprāpya rājānaṃ puruṣarṣabham
20 sabhāstāro bhaviṣyāmi tasya rājño mahātmanaḥ
kaṅko nāma dvijo bhūtvā matākṣaḥ priya devitā
21 vaiḍūryān kāñcanān dāntān phalair jyotī rasaiḥ saha
kṛṣṇākṣāṁl lohitākṣāṃś ca nirvartsyāmi manoramān
22 āsaṃ yudhiṣṭhirasyāhaṃ purā prāṇasamaḥ sakhā
iti vakṣyāmi rājānaṃ yadi mām anuyokṣyate
23 ity etad vo mayākhyātaṃ vihariṣyāmy ahaṃ yathā
vṛkodara virāṭe tvaṃ raṃsyase kena karmaṇā